“Yes.”
“Then I don’t see a problem at all. I’ll get to work.”
He couldn’t complain as the bell rang, signaling a customer. As she started to fill the shelves, a little shocked by how empty they were, she came to realize his customers all wanted to know what happened this morning. How he ran her down? Why did he? If she’d cheated on him or something?
She rolled her eyes.
Why was she the one cheating?
Right, her mother, the crackhead whore. It didn’t matter that Eliza had never touched a drug in her life. She even hated the thought of taking a painkiller, but because she was the daughter of a druggie, that stain wouldn’t let up. She hated it.
One of the many reasons she’d left town was because of it, and she had wanted to go find herself. A part of her had hoped to never return because of success in the city. Only, she had to come back. Besides, being homesick, she couldn’t make it work. The city wasn’t for her.
The hours passed. The crutches slowed her down but before long, the shelves were neatly filled, and James put the closed sign over his door.
“We done?” she asked, hiding a yawn.
“We are done. I’ve just got to ring up the till, and then we’re good to go.”
She’d heard one of the customers advising him not to let her near the till. Again, she’d never stolen anything. James intervened by telling the customer to stop being rude or he’d have to go find his hardware elsewhere.
Shaking the negativity from her mind, she sat in the chair beside the door, staring out into the night. It was already dark. What time did he close? She glanced over at the clock and her eyes went wide.
“Nine-thirty. You close at nine-thirty?”
James appeared from out of the back. “Yeah, why?”
“Why do you stay open so late?”
“You do realize a lot of people do home improvements when they get home from work and it’s late.”
“Yeah, but, why are you open?”
“They will order from me, and not online. They come to the store, if I don’t have what is in, I can get it here tomorrow. They don’t go online and I get the business.”
“Oh, that’s actually kind of clever.”
He nodded. “And here is our ride.”
She looked out the window to see Caleb Hard pulling up in a tow truck.
“A tow truck?”
“For my bike. He’s going to tow it back to my place and we’ll ride up front with him.” James opened the door as Caleb came barreling in. He was just as big as his older brother but where James’s arms seemed to be completely bare of ink, Caleb’s were covered.
“Is it true? Did you really knock her down?”
“I’m right here,” Eliza said.
“Are you going to press charges?”
“I’m right here,” James said.
“I’m not going to press charges. I think his lack of sleep will be punishment enough, don’t you?”
“Lack of sleep?” Caleb asked.
“Yeah, he’s got to wake me up and make sure I don’t fall asleep for too long or something. First, he has to feed me. Your brother has to babysit me for the next two days.”
“I’m sure he’s more than happy about that.”
She heard a grunt and turned toward the two men. James looked fine while Caleb was rubbing a spot on his stomach.
“Well, I hate to break it to you, but Mom is already at his house, making lasagna,” Caleb said.
James groaned. “Fuck, I forgot to take the key from her.”
“What’s wrong with her making lasagna? If I remember, hers is the best in town and she wins at the summer fair every single year.” No one could beat it.
“Very true, but you see, my mom, she’s a messy cook. Like the worst, which means I’m in for one hell of a cleanup when I get home.” He shook his head.
“It’ll be worth it, I’m sure.” She was starving. After the doctor visit, James went to the diner, but it had been closed due to delivery and cleanup, so they ended up with some horrible sandwiches that tasted like cardboard.
A lasagna sounded so good right about now. She wanted food.
Aunt Betty had already gotten to her hotel room. She’d sent a text earlier. Eliza would call later, but she didn’t want her aunt to worry. Even though she’d left her in the very capable hands of James Hard, her aunt still worried. She loved her so much.
With James and Caleb’s help, she was able to climb up into the truck. She moved her ankle in circles, trying to get used to some movement.
Aware of James so close to her, she tried to focus on Caleb.
The drive was short and sweet. The men told her to wait in the truck while they unloaded the bike. As she watched James, it brought back a yearning she’d hoped to ignore.
He’d been the only guy in high school she had a crush on. The one she’d hoped would ask her to prom.
Now, he was the guy who was supposed to be taking care of her, and well, those old feelings hadn’t disappeared. No, they were right there. Only now, they weren’t the feelings of an eighteen-year-old schoolgirl. She wasn’t a sweet, innocent virgin.
She’d had a couple of boyfriends back in the city. Neither of them had stuck, but she had learned a lot about herself and her desires.
There was no way she was going to make a fool of herself. She wouldn’t allow it. She was the one in control, and James, nothing was ever going to come of it.
Chapter Three
“Are you going to be able to handle her being so close?” Caleb asked.
“Shut the fuck up, Caleb.”
“Did you do it on purpose?”
He was going to throttle his brother if he kept asking all the same stupid questions. He glared at his brother, who held his hands up in surrender.
“What? You can’t deny it is a little odd. We were talking about her this morning. You run her down.”
“I was busy staring at the damn florist shop. Trying to catch sight of her, okay? I didn’t … it wasn’t supposed— Oh, fuck it. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t exactly fucking plan it.” He was tired of having to defend himself.
His mother chose that moment to come out of the house. The apron she wore made him want to whimper. She wiped her hands on a towel that looked equally dirty.
Why him?
Why his kitchen?
She had a good-sized kitchen and could bring him any item of food she wished to make, but no, not his mom. She would leave him the cleanup.
“Have they left you in the truck? What evil men,” she said.
Eliza chuckled.
Her laugh still did things to him. The sound drifted down his spine and made him want to fucking kiss her or something. Damn it.
Why did he volunteer for this?
Eliza being so close. Possibly naked, or in skimpy pajamas. He was fucked. Royally fucked. There was no way he was going to make it through the night, was there?
He ran a hand down his face, trying to clear the fog from his mind. He had to fix this.
“It’s okay, Mrs. Hard. How are you?”
“Please, it’s Jane. I’m fine. Come on, honey, let me help you.”
He and his brother rushed toward her, but she batted them away, already taking control as was her nature.